Willie Chrystal's 1975 Corvette Stingray is joined by an array of classics at The Kelpies (Image: Willie Chrystal)

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WHEN Willie Chrystal was a teenager watching hit TV show The A-Team in the 1980s, little did he realise the lasting impression it would have on his life.

Heavily influenced by The A-Team character Templeton “Face” Peck’s Chevrolet Corvette, it led to the Paisley youngster dreaming of owning an American sports car.

And that dream was quickly to become a reality for Willie – and it is a dream the 48-year-old is still living. Two factors helped Willie succumb to the charms of the all-American automobile relatively quickly.

Willie Chrystal's 1975 Corvette Stingray (Image: Willie Chrystal)

Firstly, he was encouraged to pursue his passion by a former Glasgow Airport fire service work colleague, who also had a love of American cars. And a few years later, in 1990, personnel from the closing US Naval base at the Holy Loch were selling their American imports.

At 21 years old, Willie took the leap of faith. He explained: “There was a slightly uninspiring and unreliable choice of British cars at the time.”

The car to finally tempt him was a 1980s third-generation 2.8-litre V6 Pontiac Firebird he saw while passing a garage forecourt. Within a day, he’d mustered up the courage to trade in his 1.6-litre Vauxhall Nova for his very first US automobile.

Willie Chrystal's 1975 Corvette Stingray (Image: Andrew Neil)

The Firebird, previously owned by a US major, was in good condition, affordable and, ironically, cost the same to insure as his Vauxhall.

Then, in 2000, Willie got his hands on a 1987 fourth-generation Corvette convertible – the same generation as the car he used to hanker after in The A-Team and known as “America’s sports car”.

It was the first completely redesigned Corvette since the Stingray fibreglass model of 1963 and the 230bhp 5.7-litre V8 two-seater would be Willie’s pride and joy for a couple of years.

And in doing so, it managed to counter-balance the misrepresentation of American cars being “gas guzzlers” by returning the same fuel economy as well-known family estates.

That said, as the years rolled on, life demanded a vehicle that could deal with both work and family requirements.

Enter the Ford F150 SVT Lightning pick-up truck. With a 380bhp 5.4-litre V8 supercharged powerplant, it was Willie’s pleasure and workhorse for more than three years – being used for track days at Knockhill, work meetings and family days out.

Fully laden, it transported family and work equipment aplenty, as Willie had set up his own health and safety business, MaxSafe Solutions, which required a plethora of equipment.

In 2012, his love of American cars would take an unexpected turn, when he came into possession of a yellow 1975 5.7-litre V8 Corvette Stingray coupe. Though slightly impractical, the two-seater old-school car was to be a labour of love.

Willie Chrystal's 2008 Corvette (Image: Willie Chrystal)

The Vette was shipped from California to Scotland following the death of a family friend, who never got a chance to bring her back to her former glory.

Willie decided to undertake the project, and painstakingly and meticulously worked on the restoration – stripping her back and rebuilding her. Soon, the V8 was brought back to the life, purring like new.

The yellow Stingray became synonymous with Willie, after he set up CarFest – to help raise money for charity. Willie explained: “The purpose of Carfest was to bring together people from across the community and especially to get the kids involved”.

In 2015, a 2008 438bhp 6.2-litre V8 Corvette – one of the most practical cars Willie’s ever driven – superseded the Stingray project. Still his pride and joy, with a 0-60mph sprint time of four seconds, this is both a family and work car.

Willie Chrystal's 2008 Corvette (Image: Willie Chrystal)

Owning an American sports car has not only made Willie a better driver and more road-sense aware – due to them being left-hand drives – but it’s also helped enrich his social calendar.

He takes part in events with Tartan Tarmac, a group for Scottish motoring enthusiasts who hold gatherings to showcase their love for all things vehicular.

Since that day in 1990, reliability has never been an issue, insurance and servicing have been very reasonable, slow depreciation has been common and the misconception of the “gas guzzler” has made way for not just one man’s love of American cars but a way of life.

As Willie concluded: “It’s Ferrari performance for saloon car money.”

And it doesn’t look as if he’s going to hang up the keys to the Ferrari performance anytime soon.